"So! I must say, I am impressed you got here. Team Rocket captures Pokémon from around the world. They're important tools for keeping our criminal enterprise going. I am the leader, Giovanni! For your insolence, you will feel a world of pain!"

Contents

Appearance

Personality

Biography

Games

Red, Blue, Green & Yellow

Generation 1 artwork.

Giovanni first appeared in the Generation I games as the Leader of Team Rocket. After he and his Team Rocket Grunts were defeated at both the Rocket Hideout and Silph Co., Giovanni escapes to an unknown hideout where the protagonist is unaware of. Eventually, it was revealed that he was the Gym Leader of the Viridian Gym, and the final Gym Leader the player faces. Upon defeating him, Giovanni states that he's giving up on Team Rocket, subsequently disbands the organization, and disappears, and is not seen again for the rest of the game.

Gold, Silver & Crystal

Later on, in the Generation II games, Team Rocket has reorganized, now functioning without Giovanni, and believes that he will return. The lost Team Rocket attempts several acts, in order to call their former Leader, though he never makes an appearance.

FireRed & LeafGreen

In the Generation III remakes, Giovanni retains his first role in exactly the same way, with the exception of his updated appearance. Also, instead of passing the protagonist the TM (Fissure), he passes them the TM (Earthquake). At the Sevii Islands, a group of renegade Team Rocket Grunts and Admins attempt to continue their schemes but are defeated by the protagonist.

HeartGold & SoulSilver

In Generation IV, another branch of Team Rocket led by Executive Archer attempt to relaunch the team by committing several acts such as at the Slowpoke Well and the Lake of Rage. After being foiled by the protagonist, the new Team Rocket took over the Goldenrod Radio Tower to contact their missing leader but are once again defeated. Archer then disbands Team Rocket forever, much like his leader three years ago.

It was later revealed during the Celebi Event that Giovanni heard the broadcast from his radio in his hideout in Tohjo Falls. After being defeated, he disappears.

During the event, it was also revealed that Silver was Giovanni's son who was abandoned by his father when he met his defeat at the hands of Red. This act reflects on Giovanni's selfishness, something that the much more ruthless Giovanni in the manga would not do.

Black 2 & White 2

In Black 2 and White 2, he appears at the World Tournament mode wearing his Celebi event outfit.

Trivia

Giovanni's name may come from the word GEO for the first part of his name. Geo is Greek for Earth and this is because he is a Ground type trainer.

It may also be a pun on how most 20's and 30's American gang members had Italian names like Alfonso (Al) Capone. Giovanni is an English-Italian name and is a gang leader himself (Team Rocket).

Giovanni's outfit in Generation IV and V seems to be based on a general's uniform.

In Pokémon Yellow, Giovanni replaced Kangaskhan with Persian since Yellow was based on the anime.

He may be inspired by the villain of James Bond series, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. In Bond films and novels, Blofeld leads his own criminal organization, the S.P.E.C.T.R.E., to become rich and reign on the world. As a companion, Blofeld has a cat.